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Ellenbrook to get 24-7 Ambulance base

Station manager Suleen Van Der Westhuizen at the site of the new Ellenbrook depot on Commercial Road.

ST JOHN Ambulance WA has moved to providing 24/7 service in Ellenbrook, in line with the current population growth in Perth’s northern corridor.

The Ellenbrook depot was opened in 2011, servicing the suburb and its surrounding areas including The Vines, Aveley and Belhus.

In August, it moved from operating a single ambulance for half a day to an around-the-clock service, operating seven days a week.

Ambulance service director Iain Langridge said the changes at the Ellenbrook depot would have a positive impact on pre-hospital care in the northern suburbs.

“The northern suburbs of Perth are currently experiencing huge population growth and we have noted a significant increase in ambulance work, which has resulted in a 17 per cent increase in case volume in the northwest corridor between 2013 and 2015,” he said.

“The strategy to deal with this increased need has involved not only the implementation of a 24/7 ambulance operation at Ellenbrook, but also the establishment of the Wangara North Hub, which allows for dynamic deployment in the region.

“The north hub, which has been operational since May, has helped us respond to triple zero calls in suburbs such as Ellenbrook during peak times and meet the needs of this growing community.”

The two-storey North Hub can house up to 15 ambulances and 15 patient transfer vehicles, accommodate a back-up State Operations Centre and a set-up area for event health services.

Additionally, plans are being made for a new depot and first aid training facility to be constructed on Commercial Road in Ellenbrook, with a completion date scheduled for 2019.

Swan Hills MLA Frank Alban said he was happy to hear of the new developments in Ellenbrook.

”I have been campaigning to have the ambulance station and other facilities located in the Ellenbrook area since June 2010, and am very pleased to see this coming about,” said Mr Alban.

“With a population of over 40,000, it is now the right time for our own purpose built 24/7 St John Ambulance Service for this community.”

The feasibility stage of the Ellenbrook depot project is slated to commence in 2017.